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Managing startups is a relatively simple process. Basically, it involves issuing and receiving digital certificates, commonly known as “public keys”. An important note is that unlike traditional encryption, the issuance of digital certificates does not require the sender or receiver to carry out any additional steps. It’s a one-time deal.

There are various methods for managing digital certificates. The most basic method is called the ‘CA’ field. This abbreviated form stands for ‘Certificate Authority’ and is typically used for issuing websites and emails. This method is very straightforward – you simply select a CA from a list, and then follow a few simple steps:

* automate lifecycle management. Digital certificates are usually issued for one particular purpose, which makes automation in this area extremely simple. For example, when you issue an email, you only need to enter in the subject, body and finally the secure private key. All of these fields can then be automatically selected for appropriate validation. Once startups ‘ve validated the details, you then just select the right public key, copy it down and send the message.

* Automate SSL certificate management. SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate lifecycle is a key factor in making sure your SSL certificate stays valid for your customers. SSL certificate expiration makes sure that nobody is using a false certificate, and that nobody is requesting certificates that they don’t have. It also enables you to make changes to your site rules in case an old certificate has already been expired.

startups Create own private key infrastructure. You can create your own private key infrastructure in the form of digital certificates and then use it to create various intermediate certificates which you can then use in place of the original public key. Digital certificates are normally kept on servers, but you can keep them safely stored on your laptop or other computer, which means you don’t have to worry about storage and maintenance issues that usually get in the way of handling certificates with public keys.

* Keep track of all DNS resource records. Your CRLS system keeps track of DNS resource records for each domain name and every zone. However, because certificates are typically stored as part of the DNS client, you need to be able to automate access to such information in case you need to perform manual verification of issuer names, private key sizes, or other criteria. To do this, you can either keep such data within your CRLS system itself, or you can install third-party DNS server applications which will perform the verification for you. However, manually searching through DNS zones and manually adding, editing or deleting certificates is a long process, and it can become cumbersome.

* Handle multiple CAs. Certificates issued with one CA (Certificate Authority) can be used with any other CA (Certificate Authority) in the same organization. In addition, certificates can be traded between CAs. This scenario can be leveraged by companies which own more than one branch offices. By instructing your payroll processor to issue digital certificates using one primary CA and a secondary CA, anyone can acquire the private key needed to access the content of the private SSL certificate, regardless of whether they’re the ones issuing the actual private certificate or not.

Managing digital certificates doesn’t have to be challenging. By automating as much of the process as possible, you can ensure that your company’s privacy, security and compliance with local and international regulations is maintained at all times. Also, automation can eliminate the need for human administrators. If you automate at least some of the key processes associated with managing SSL certificates, such as issuing, managing and maintaining client and server certificates, you can free up more time for other business-related activities. In this scenario, outsourcing your certificate management responsibilities to managed certificate services is a smart move.